Cowards
by Let-It-Bree
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy is determined to win Rose Weasley back, but will his feelings for her remain even after he learns the truth behind their break-up?


**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe.**

Scorpius Malfoy was a reasonable man, but nothing about what he was doing now (and had been doing for the past several months) was reasonable. He sat now in the Auror Offices interrogation room, wrists bound by enchanted handcuffs, with a furious Ron Weasley staring him down.

"I wish I could say I was surprised, but considering this has been happening at least once a week since...that day...I'm not in the least," he said in a gruff tone that seemed beyond annoyed. Scorpius couldn't really blame him, he supposed that he too would get kind of sick of seeing his daughter's ex-boyfriend every Wednesday for the past five months.

That didn't mean he was going to stop.

And that didn't mean he was going to talk.

Ron rung his hand through his uncontrollable red hair.

"Scorpius I feel just as bad as anyone about what happened-" _as if, he had been ecstatic_ "-but really boy, maybe it's time you moved on," Just like every other time Ron had tried to start up conversations with him, Scorpius's only response was a placid face and complete silence. Ron's face grew red with anger before he slammed his fist on the table. He didn't like to be ignored. Sucked for him.

"Now you listen here Malfoy, she'll never come back to you. Not ever. She'll never choose you, she'll never care for you, she'll never want you! You can come here every day for the rest of your life and she won't care. You're not romantic. You're just pitiful," Ron roared before strutting out the interrogation door, leaving it wide open. It didn't matter whether the door was bolted shut or missing from its hinges, Scorpius didn't plan on leaving. But he did feel his hands clench into fists and his heart sink. That had been his biggest fear since she walked out of the door five months ago: that no matter what he did, he wouldn't get her back.

And he _needed_ her back.

And then he saw her, a little worse for wear, walking slowly into the mirrored room and closing the door after her. Her hazel eyes met his silver ones and he noticed that they no longer held the same sparkle they had when the two had been together. As foolish as it sounded, her eyes had always sort of comforted him-that shine meant everything was going to be alright. Now everything was wrong. She worked here, with her father, and was the only one Scorpius would talk to. His hand twitched to grab hers and instinctively he stood and took two steps closer to her-

"Scorpius." her voice stopped him from taking any more. With a quick flick of her wand, the cuffs dissipated from his wrist and reappeared on the table he had once been sitting behind.

"Rose."

"You shouldn't be here-"

"Of course I should be. You're here," He didn't miss the desperate edge in his voice, nor did he miss the way Rose stopped breathing for a second. He had _never_ been desperate. Closed off, yes. Unempathetic, yes. Completely and utterly in love with her, always. Her neck bobbed as she swallowed.

"What happened to you Scorpius?" she whispered quietly. As if she were one to talk. In the mirrored room, Scorpius saw both himself and Rose's reflection. They both had dark circles under their eyes, their clothes both wrinkled, their hair both wild. But both still presentable, both still _them_. Just...missing something.

"The same thing that happened to you," He said quietly. She spun away from him, unable to keep his molten gaze.

"And I wouldn't be here-" he could feel that same pain-fullen anger building inside of his chest as he spoke louder and faster "-if you would just talk to me. Just _talk_ to me like a normal person and at least let us go back to being at least the friends we once were. I wouldn't be here if you weren't such a bloody _coward_!"

"I am not a coward!" she shouted back, her face turning red. Bloody Hell he missed this-arguing like they used to, seeing her face sprouted that adorable blush. He missed her. He took quick steps towards her while she stood, unmoving. Still turned with her back facing him.

"Prove it," he whispered, so close to her ear he could smell the lavender of her shampoo. As close as he used to be. She spun, their chests touching, their breathing in sync, her eyes filled with as much wanting as his own. Then something shifted. Something changed.

"We have bad blood in-between us Malfoy. And we finished this months ago. I'm done being your doll," she sneered, pushing back. Scorpius was shocked as he looked at her. _Bad blood? Malfoy? His doll?_ Rose sounded like…

How had he not figured it out sooner?

A void had consumed him, his face became as emotionless as it was before she had walked into the room. As emotionless as it was before he had met her.

"You sound just like your father, _Weasley_ , and your mother, and every other member of your war-hero family. You left me because of _them_ , didn't you? You finally gave in to what they've been whispering in your ear since you were born," Rose looked like she wanted to say something, but Scorpius cut her off with a single humorless laugh.

"You know, all this time I've been going over again and again what you said that night. That you felt we had hit our stride, that we no longer fit like we used to-but that was all shit you pulled out of a hat wasn't it? Just ways to get a burden like me off of your back before I showed my true _Malfoy_ nature. I was just a parasite you needed to get rid of, wasn't I?" She said nothing, but he noticed the way she gripped the edge of the table in the room, noticed the way it was the only thing supporting her. He always noticed everything about her. How had he not noticed _this?_ For the past five months, he had been getting himself arrested with simple crimes and only agreeing to speak to her when he was here-just to see her, talk to her. For the past five months he had believed that he had done something wrong, that it was up to him to find a way to fix all this and get his other half back in his arms. But Rose had no longer wanted him, all because of his name. And he had never felt more foolish than he did now. He pulled out a pouch from his jacket (the muggle one she had bought for him) and dropped it on the table.

"My bail for today," he said in an overly cheerful way. Before heading towards the door.

"You were going to hurt me," Rose said quietly.

"Everyone always found a way to hurt me Scorpius, and you-out of everyone I knew-had the most power to do that. You could have destroyed me. You would have ruined me." Scorpius froze, not turning around to face her. Even after learning the truth he doubted he could look at her without wanting her. Cowards. Both of them.

"I loved you Rose. I loved you more than anything," he responded, keeping his voice steely. He realized, rather suddenly, that she would never see how much he hurt her, how much in fact _she_ ruined _him_. But, of course, he could at least try to show her.

"I was never going to _hurt you_." he pulled out a small box from the inside pocket of his jacket-one he had been carrying around since a week before the break-up. 'Course, he doubted he needed it anymore. Rose Weasley would no longer love Scorpius Malfoy. He wondered if she ever did. He put the box holding the engagement ring on the interrogation table.

"I was going to _propose._ " He walked out of the room, oblivious to the stares of Ron Weasley-who had been waiting right outside the door-as he did. Oblivious that Rose now sat, crying her heart out in the damn room, clutching the small box in her hand.

Regretting listening to jealous cousins and wrong parents.

Regretting being such a coward.

 **A/N This is my first Scorose fanfic, please review!**


End file.
